Video: Tony Hawk rides a hoverboard (no really!)

This is not a hoax, a fake or some sort of post-production special effects wizardy. This is 100% real.

Given the advances in technology over recent years, it is actually quite frustrating that hoverboards have not yet become a mainstream mode of transport. According to the Back to the Future film series, the world will be whizzing about on the contraptions nonchalantly as if it was a common city bike by 2015. It seems the writers of the cult Sci-fi adventure franchise do have some clairvoyant powers. Check out this great clip of Tony Hawk riding an actual, real-life hoverboard. The skating legend performs slightly underwhelming tricks on the board, but considering how big of an achievement it is that it works, we can make some allowances for the fact that it is a little lacklustre. What's worrying is that scientists no longer seem to be too preoccupied with curing disease and solving environmental issues to try to make our childhood fantasies become a reality. Perhaps we should get our priorities straight. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSheVhmcYLA